Devices for studying afflictions associated with the ear are well-known. Typically, such devices irrigate the ear with a hot or cold fluid. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,231 to B. A. Ducote discloses a device for irrigating the ear canal with hot or cold water in order to induce nystagmus. Irrigation of the ear with various hot or cold fluids for studying or evaluation purposes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,023,561 (to Proctor et al.), 4,106,493 (to Proctor et al.), 4,023,561 (to G. H. Servos) and 3,000,271 (to Harvey et al.).
Devices for treating or alleviating such afflictions by irrigating the ear with hot or cold fluids are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,325,386 and 4,466,438, both to Jay W. Katz. Such devices are disclosed as being portable for use by the patient.
The present invention concerns the treatment of afflictions of the ear by temporarily changing the pressure in the ear canal so as to alleviate Meniere's disease symptoms, such as, hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, nausea and aural fullness. This general approach is alluded to in the following publications: S. Ingelstedt et al., "Immediate Relief of Symptoms During Acute Attacks of Meniere's Disease Using a Pressure Chamber", Acta Otolaryngolocica, Volume 82, pages 368-378, (1976); 0. Densert et al., "Immediate Restoration of Basal Sensorineural Hearing (Meniere) Using a Pressure Chamber", Acta Otolaryngologica, Volume 8O, pages 93-100 (1975); B. Densert et al., "Overpressure and Treatment of Meniere's Disease", Laryngoscope, Volume 92 (November, 1982); and O. Tjernstrom et al., "Hearing Improvement in Attacks of Meniere's Disease Treated with Pressure Chamber", Adv. Oto-Rhino-Laryng., Volume 25, pages 54-60 (1979).
The treatments described in the foregoing publications of using induced pressure changes in the ear to alleviate symptoms of Meniere's disease is distinguished from well-known techniques of introducing a constant or fluctuating air pressure in the ear canal to measure the acoustic response of the ear. Such techniques are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,688,582 (to Heller et al.), 4,009,707 (to J. W. Ward), 3,882,848 (to Klar et al.) and 3,757,769 (to Arguimbau et al.). For example, the patent to J. W. Ward mentioned here (U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,707) discloses an ear probe connected to a pump for the purpose of evacuating pressure in the ear to facilitate an acoustic impedance measurement. The ear probe maintains an air-tight seal with the ear canal while the pump pressure is regulated at a selected level using pressure regulating techniques well-known in the art.
Unfortunately, the approach of inducing a pressure change in the ear to alleviate Meniere's disease symptoms and the like suffers from a number of disadvantages. First, the use of a pressure chamber is highly inconvenient in that the patient must hasten to the nearest clinic having a pressure chamber whenever he senses the onset of such symptoms. In many cases, this is not only inconvenient but the patient may never reach the clinic before an episode of such symptoms has run its course. Secondly, each time the patient enters the pressure chamber for treatment, skilled personnel must be present to operate the chamber, representing a significant expense to the patient, as well as making immediate treatment dependent upon the availability of such skilled personnel at any hour of the day or night.